WOD for the Road

By: Jenessa Connor

Vacations are great and work trips are unavoidable, but it’s tough to be away from the box for an extended period of time. We all worry about losing ground on lifts and missing our favorite benchmark workouts. Plus, it’s a lot easier to over-indulge in booze and nutritionally empty foods when you’re out of your normal routine.

But, with a little planning and creativity, you can stay on top of your fitness goals even when you’re on the road. One of the great things about CrossFit is that so many of the workouts require only body weight and a minimal amount of time. If you have ten minutes and a patch of hotel room floor, you can still get in a few effective WODs.

For your convenience, we rounded up seven travel-friendly WODs and matched them up to common out-of-the-box situations. So, leave the excuses in your suitcases and get to work!

Beach Vacation WOD – Get up early and hit the beach before it gets crowded with sun bathers. Sand provides extra resistance, which makes this quick workout even more challenging.

3 Rounds: Run 1/2 mile + 50 air squats (you can approximate the distance or run for time based on your half mile time)

Road Trip WOD – Bust out this quick WOD while everyone else is stretching their legs and grabbing snacks. Who cares what the rest of the people in the parking lot think?

5 Rounds: 3 vertical jumps + 3 squats + 3 long jumps

Family Reunion WOD – Make this one a family affair by turning it into a race or a relay.

10 Rounds: 10 walking lunges + 10 push-ups

Cramped Hotel Room WOD – Even with low ceilings and minimal floor space, you can squeeze in the quick and spicy workout.

10 Rounds: 5 push-ups + 5 squats + 5 sit-ups

The Five Minute WOD – For when you literally only have five minutes. Grab some wall space and make those five minutes count.

5 Rounds: 30 seconds handstand hold + 30 seconds hold at the bottom of a squat

The Airport WOD – Delays and layovers don’t have to be a waste of time. If other people can sleep in airport terminals, you can WOD.

10 Rounds: 30 second plank hold + 30 second hold at the bottom of a squat + 30 second hold in hollow rock

Crappy Hotel Fitness Room WOD – It’s annoying how most hotels will call two dusty treadmills and a set of mismatched dumbbells a “gym.” But even a dated treadmill can be useful when it comes to an interval workout.

5 Round of 400m sprints (include a brief walking or jogging recovery in between each sprint)